Thursday, July 15, 2010

I'm sure we have all had those jobs. The ones where you are sitting in your grey colored cubicle, listening to the faint hum of the fluorescent lights, making animals in your head out of the 80's textured wallpaper and thinking how much longer do I have to be here only to be exasperated by the fact that it's been 2 minutes since you last glanced at the clock. Blah! It's enough to make anyone pull their hair out.

If we have to be at work, why can't we be in a visually and mentally stimulating place. This will actually help employees to work harder and more efficiently because they will be happier! I can speak from personal experience, yes the description above is an eye-witness account, that working in a space filled with bright colors, clean lines and art on the walls actually makes coming to work amazing, loving what I do helps too! But, even if I hated my job, I still wouldn't feel depressed and glum because of my environment.

Let's take a look at some really depressing spaces:

First rule, DE-CLUTTER! Just looking at this office makes me feel overwhelmed.

Second rule, UPDATE!

Third Rule, add some COLOR!

Fourth Rule, Look Professional! This is your place of business, it should look good and make a good first impression to your clients so they will feel good about doing business with you.

Now let's look at some great designs of work spaces. I would love to be in any of these work environments!

Don't be afraid to have some fun with your workspace!

Google Offices

This is a great example of how a little color goes a long way!

Or a lot of COLOR!

Your office should match your company's image. This is the Anthropologie corporate office and it looks like their stores.

Every office should provide snacks for their employees. Sometimes we just need a little sugar to keep going!

Don't be afraid to have a little fun in your office. Laughter and fun will actually help productivity and job satisfaction.

If you have the means, think about providing a gym for your employees. Encouraging health and fitness will also help to increase job productivity and satisfaction. The healthier we are the better equipped we are for our jobs.